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Mohali: In the driver's seat after two convincing wins, the stage is perfect for India to record their biggest-ever series win over a depleted Australia, who have been rocked by off-field controversies and dissensions, ahead of the third Test starting on Thursday.
If the humiliating losses in Chennai and Hyderabad were not enough, the once mighty Australians were dealt a body blow with the expulsion of four key players, including vice-captain Shane Watson, for breach of discipline, ahead of their must-win game at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
This time around, if they are able to make it 3-0 in Mohali, it will be a welcome first for Indian cricket, against Australia, who had thrashed them 4-0 the last time they met at the Aussies' den. India have never won more than two Tests in a series against Australia.
In the ongoing rubber, the visitors had been easily beaten by eight wickets in the opening Test in Chennai, before being inflicted an innings and a 135-run defeat in the second game in Hyderabad.
Going into the match, India's primary cause of concern, though, could be the blow star batsman Cheteshwar Pujara suffered during a net session on Tuesday.
Architect of India's victory in the second Test in Hyderabad with a magnificent double ton, Pujara was hit on the left knee by a local pace bowler as he was batting in the nets. The batsman looked in considerable pain as he was forced to leave the nets.
Even as the Australians will have some thinking to do as far as selecting their playing XI is concerned, India, save for the dropped Virender Sehwag, might be tempted to take the field with more or less the same winning combination. Delhi boy Shikhar Dhawan -- who is waiting for his maiden Test call-up.
On otherhand, Australian, Ed Cowan and David Warner will open the batting, with the out-of-form Phil Hughes coming in at number three. Both Cowan and Hughes figuring in the XI, despite a run of poor scores, will surely somewhat expose Australia's weaknesses even more.
The indomitable Michael Clarke, as in the first two matches, is again expected to shoulder the bulk of responsibility in batting considering Australia's thin experience in that department.
Doughty is the appropriate word that best describes the Australian skipper's knocks in the first two Tests in Chennai and Hyderabad, but hopes of making a comeback in the four-match series will also hinge on others.
IPL's latest million dollar baby, Glen Maxwell, who made his debut in the last Test in Hyderabad, is not a sure-shot starter but Moises Henriques, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc are again certainty.
One is yet to get a definitive answer on wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade's fitness, but his cover Brad Haddin, is also set to be included in the line-up, with Xavier Doherty and Nathan Lyon as the two sinners.
Teams from
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt & wk.), Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Australia: Michael Clarke (Capt.), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Moises Henriques, Xavier Doherty, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin (wk).
Pitch and conditions
The pitch has been the centre of much speculation over the last few days. Surely it will favour the spinners, but the Aussies can take heart from the fact that it won't be the crumbling tracks they endured in Chennai, and to a lesser extent, Hyderabad. With the curator of the PCA stadium, Daljit Singh, who also happens to be in charge of the BCCI grounds and pitches committee, claiming that the track will assist the spinners, India will, in all likelihood, again pack their attack with slow bowlers.
Stats and trivia
Match facts
March 14-18, 2013
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)
